Tubular knitted fabric dryer



Feb. 4, 1958 M. G. FERNANDEZ 2,821,769

TUBULAR KNITTED FABRIC DRYER Filed Nov. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

Manual 6. Fernandez IN VEN TOR.

Feb. 4, 1958 M. G. FERNANDEZ 2,821,769

TUBULAR KNITTED FABRIC DRYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 1, 1955 llIl-lllllllll INVENTOR. Men.

Manue/ 6.. Fernandez BY QM U d S Pat n 9 TUBULAR KNITTED FABRIC DRYER Manuel G. Fernandez, Havana, Cuba Application November 1, 1955, Serial No. 544,308

1 Claim. (Cl. 26-56) This invention generally relates to a drying device and more specifically provides a final dryer for use in drying tubular knitted fabric after such fabric has been bleached or color dyed and. passed through an initial drying apparatus such as squeezing rolls or a centrifugal dryer with the fabric being damp dry or humid when it passes into the final dryer.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tubular fabric dryer especially adapted for drying tubular fabric after it has been bleached or dyed, wherein such fabric is drawn upwardly in surrounding relation to a vertically elongated tubular member that is provided with pressurized air or a similar drying gas which is discharged into the interior of the fabric for retaining the fabric in spaced relation to the tubular member during the movement of the fabric as well as drying the fabric.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fabric dryer in accordance with the preceding object in which a fan is provided in the form of a blower for supplying pressurized air, wherein the air is discharged adjacent the lower end of the tubular member in a cool state and the air is discharged at the upper end of the tubular member in a heated state, thereby forming two stages of drying, with the first stage being accomplished with cool atmospheric air while the second stage is accomplished by heated air.

Yet another important feature of the present invention is to provide a dryer in accordance with the immediately preceding objects in which an air diffuser in the form of an inverted conical member is adjustably positioned in the open upper end of the vertical tubular member for directing the discharge of heated air against the inner surface of the tubular fabric, whereby the adjustments provide variation in the direction of flow of the air and the drying qualities that may occur by the variation in the direction of flow.

Other important objects of the present invention will reside in its simplicity of construction, ease of operation, efficiency, adaptation for its particular purposes and its relatively inexpensive manufacture and cost.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the tubular fabric dryer of the present invention shown somewhat in a schematic manner for clarification;

Figure 2 is a plan sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 2-2 of Figure 1. illustrating the construction of the supporting tray;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 3-3 of Figure 2 illustrating details of construction of the rotatable tray mounting means;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of the tubular member illustrating the construction thereof including the coil, the difiuser and the associated structure;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the lower portion of the tubular member illustrating the construction of the discharge openings or ports for the cool air together with the insulated steam pipes positioned therein;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 6-6 of Figure 4 illustrating the construction of the heating coil together with the upper end of the tubular member and the insulation thereon; and

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 77 of Figure 5 illustrating the construction of the discharge openings together with the relationship of the steam pipes.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the fabric dryer of the present invention including a vertically elongated tubular cylindrical member 12 provided with a base plate 14 supported from a suitable foundation 16. The tubular member 12 is generally hollow and provided with an open upper end 18.

Mounted on the tubular member 12 adjacent the base plate 14 is a flange 20 forming a supporting bearing race for a plurality of ball bearings 22 which engage a collar 24 mounted on the bottom of a circular tray 26 having an upstanding side wall 28 and an upstanding central wall 30 which encircles the tubular member 12 in slight ly spaced relation as does the collar 24, thereby permitting rotational movement of the tray 26. The tray 26 is adapted to support a quantity of tubular fabric 32 wherein the fabric 32 may be drawn upwardly in encircling relation to the tubular member 12 and the rotational move ment of the tray 26 permits the tubular fabric 32 to constantly remain in wrinkle-free condition.

A blower 34 is supported on the foundation 16 and is provided with a suitable electric driving motor 36, and the blower 34 is provided with a discharge duct 38 communicating with the interior of the tubular member 12 adjacent the bottom end thereof. Also, a pair of steam pipes 40 and 42 are provided and these pipes extend into the interior of the tubular member 12 and upwardly inside the same. The pipes 40 and 42 each is provided with insulation 43 covering the same so that the relatively cool air discharged into the tubular member 12 by the blower 34 will not be heated by the steam or other heating medium passing through the pipes 40 and 42.

The tubular member 12 is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced circumferential rows of discharge openings 44 to permit discharge of cool air therefrom for contact with the inner surface of the tubular fabric 32 as the tubular fabric 32 moves upwardly in encircling relation to the tubular member 12. This cool air will initially dry the fabric 32 and also retain the fabric 32 in proper spaced relation to the tubular member 12, thereby reducing any frictional contact to a bare minimum to permit easy removal of the tubular fabric 32.

The upper end portion of the tubular member 12 is covered on the outer surface thereof with insulating material 46 and it will be noted that substantially one-third or less of the length of the tubular member 12 is covered by the insulation 46. Disposed interiorly of the tubular member 12 adjacent the upper end thereof is a spiral heating coil 48 communicating with the pipe 40 and a central pipe 50 connects the upper end of the heating coil 48 with the pipe 42. The heating coil 48 is supported by suitable brackets 52 and extends downwardly to a point generally even with the lower end of the insulation 46 on the outer surface of the tubular member 12.

The upper end of the tubular member 12 as well as the insulation material 46 is provided with diametrically opposed vertical slots 54 for adjustably supporting a bracket in" the form of a spider 56' having depending legs 58 thereon adjustably supported by screw threaded fasteners 60 extending through the slots 54. Supported on the upper surface of the bracket. or spider 56 is a diffuser 62 which is generally: in the shape of an inverted cone but has anoutwardly flared upper end forming a smooth curved surface on the diffuser 62. This curvature of the diffuser 62 permits the heated air heated by thecoil 48 to bedirected outwardly against the inner surface of the tubular fabric for more effective drying thereof. By vertically adjusting the diffuser 62, the direction of flow of the heated air may be altered to vary the characteristics of the heated air discharged against the inner surface of the fabric.

Disposed-above the tubular member 12 isa roller 64 supported from a bracket 66 on a supporting surface 68 and disposed laterally therefrom is a reel 70 mounted on-suitable brackets 72 and-powered by a suitable belt 74 for' winding the dried fabric onto the reel 70 until a given amount is positioned thereon as may be desired. in operation, a quantity of the tubular knitted fabric or other similartubular fabrics 32 is disposed on the platform 26 and the blower 34 as well as the heating fluid is admitted through the pipes 40 and 42 and the duct 38, respectively. The pressurized cool air moves upwardly inthe tubular member 12 and portions thereof are discharged through the openings 44, thereby starting the initial drying of the fabric and retaining the fabric in spaced relation to the surface of the tubular member, thereby retaining the fabric in a desired clean condition and alsoreducing frictional drag of the tubular fabric onthe tubular member 12. The heat pipes 40 and 42 are insulated to the coil 48 and the tubular member 12 is insulated to the upper end thereof wherein heat will not pass through the insulating material 46 for drying the fabric untilthe fabric reaches the upper end of the tubular member 12 wherein the diffuser 62 urges and directs the heated air onto the inner surface of the fabric for effective drying of the same. The diffuser not only directs the discharge of the heated air but also controls the amount of hot air flowing through the upper end of the tubular member as well as the amount of cool or ambiental' air flowing through the discharge outlets. The air discharged against the inner surface of the knitted fabric is forced through the fabric for effectively ballooning the tube of fabric for reducing the frictional contact and minimizing the stretching of the fabric. This internal pressure of the air counteracts the tendency of the tube of knitted fabric to shrink or narrow during its upward movement for restoring the fabric to its original dimensions. The ballooning effect together with the rotatable 4. tray permits the fabric to be raised upwardly in untwisted condition rather than in the normal twisted condition thereby exposing smooth fabric to the heated air for equal and even action of the heat thereby preventing streaks and fading sometimes occurring in dyed fabric when heated and dried unevenly.

It will be understood that other heating elements may be employed in lieu of the steam pipes illustrated in the present invention. andother minor details of construction may be altered'in' accordance with each individual installation andvarious controls, switches and; the like which are necessary are not illustrated, since they are not necessary'in' describing the operation of the invention.

The foregoing is. considered asillustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents mayberesorted to, falling within the scope'of the invention as claimed;

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A dryer for tubular fabric comprising a vertical elongated tubular member having an open upper end and an insulated upper portion, a platform onthe lower end ofthe tubular member for supporting aquantity' of tubular fabricsadapted to be pulled upwardly aroundsaid tubular member, fan means communicating with the lower end of the tubular member and forcinga column of cool air under pressureupwardly through the tubular member to pass out of its upper end, a heating coil in the upper insulated" portion of the tubular member for heating the" column of air in said insulated portion prior to its passage outof'said upper end, vertically spaced discharge-vents in said tubular member below said insulated portion fordischarging air from said column before it is heated out of the tubular member against fabrics to initially dry the same and prevent the fabrics fromengaging said tubular member, and an inverted conical deflector-on said tubularmember above its upper end deflecting heated airissuing from said upper end downwardly between the tubular member and fabricsto further dry the fabrics.

References. Cited in the. file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 568,874v Pease Oct. 6,, 1896 1,597,702 Wenzel Aug. 31,1926 1,696,682 Kasanof Dec. 25, 1928 1,711,094 Kasanof Apr. 30, 1929 2,011,935 Kasanof Aug. 20,1935 

